The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1892 PAYMENT OF MEMBERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2409, 8 October 1892, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1892 PAYMENT OF MEMBERS.

In Parliament last Tuesday evening the second reading of the Payment of Members Bill was carried, and it was put through committee and its final stages in one sitting. The subject w»s thoroughly discussed, the opposition to it was keen, but the members were determined to work instead of waste time, and hence the result. Now if the members went to work on ftll questions like this the Payment of Members Bill would not have been necessary. AH wuk could have been done in five or six weeks, and the £l5O a year would have been sufficient then. Under Mr Rollestou’s leadership the House has become demoralised. He is not fit to lead. His whole idea is turn out the Government by hook or crook, and he is not particular as to whether the means are fair, or foul, true, or false. Those who took note of the time when Sir Harry Atkinson led the Opposition will remember how differently he deported himself. Sir Harry never resorted to anything bordering on obstructive tactics, he seldom spoke, but when he did he never descended to impute unworthv motives to his opponents, as Mr Rolleston does. In the same way when Mr Ballance led the Opposition, his friends used to complain that he was too quiet, and allowed things to pass which he ought to criticise. On the other hand Mr Rolleston springs up like a jack-in-the-box at every hand’s turn, and instead of looking at matters in a high-minded way, there is none of his followers can descend much lower than he does. For instance, he said the object of paying the members was to provide political agitators during the recess. What a scandalously mean low view to take oi the question. When there was twenty members more than at present they were paid £2lO, and because £3O more is to be added it will make political agitators. How did Mr Rolleston spend the most of his last recess 'I Was it not in making speeches at banquets, and screaming that money was leaving tire colony ? Was ho not a political agitator of the worst type 1 Hid hq not join in what Lord Onslow called' “The shriek of panic,” knowing full well that ho was not speaking the truth, and that raising such cries was calculated to do a great (teal of naiwhief 1 Pft he »ot joiu with

those who tried to frighten capital out of the country, so as to raise the rate of interest, put money into the pockets of his friends the money-lenders, and take it out of the pockets of the poor men who had borrowed it ? Time has proved that he spoke not a single word of truth during all the recess agitation. He said the Government were extravagant, but the contrary has been proved; he said they were galloping to a deficit, but they had a surplus ; he said they were galloping to a loan, but they have stopped borrowing ; he said money was leaving the country, but that proved untrue. Not one word of his statements proved true, yet after all this agitation he is the man who will not blush to call paid members paid agitators. It is to be regretted that Mr Rolleston cannot take a loftier view of his duties than he does, but he will find that, like curses, his conduct will fall severest on his own head yet. The Payment of Members Bill is now passed, and henceforward Legislative Councillors will get £l5O, and members of the House of Representatives £240 a year. The Legislative Council passed the bill through its stages in a few minutes. If Mr Sandford’s suggestion that the bill should not come into operation until after next election had been adopted we should have been better pleased, and the present House could not be acoussed of being mercenary. Still it is worthy of note that some of the labour members voted against the bill, so it must not be put down to their presence in the House.